Joy to Job

 


October Partner Spotlight

Joy to Job



The Youth Employment Centre (YEC) asked Joy to Job to answer a few questions about their organization. 

What kind of services/programs do you offer? 

Joy to Job is a non-profit, student-led resource for youth/students to gain realistic information and answers about careers they are interested in directly from professionals (who have experienced the career firsthand) - we connect students with professionals in careers they are interested in. 

Each month, Joy to Job hosts free virtual webinars covering a different career field, featuring 4-5 professionals. Genuine conversations are fostered with the panelists where they share not only what they love about their job, but also the challenges that come with their career and the path they took to get to where they are today. Students are encouraged to ask questions and engage with the panelists.

How many locations do you have in Calgary and nationally/internationally? What locations are recruiting locally in Calgary and area? If virtual, how does this work?

Joy to Job originated in Calgary but is a virtual service that is available for all students/youth everywhere. Each month of the school year, Joy to Job hosts a webinar covering a different career field on Zoom, featuring a panel of 4-5 professionals. They share their personal experiences, advice, and answer student questions (which are submitted upon webinar sign up). 

Students will also have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the panelists throughout the webinar using the Q&A feature on Zoom. The webinars are structured so that only the hosts and panelists have access to microphones and cameras. Attendee identities are kept anonymous but they may type in the Q&A and comment section.

How many people does your organization employ? Or how many people does your organization accept into the program(s)? How many locally? 

There are currently six members (all of which are students) on Joy to Job who host the webinars and manage the behind-the-scenes. The webinar panelists are made up of 4-5 professionals who specialize in the career field being covered. There is no limit to the number of attendees, nor any location restrictions for Joy to Job’s webinars - the more the merrier!



What type of positions do you support people in the program to get once they’ve completed the program(s)?  (ex. Full time, part time, seasonal, contract etc.) 

Joy to Job’s webinars targets youth and students specifically. Our goal is to provide students with realistic information about various careers straight from professionals so that they can develop an idea of what that career is really about and thus feel confident with their decisions. After attending the webinars, we hope student’s will have gained a better understanding of what career path they may want to pursue, as well as how they will approach pursuing it.

What are some of the employers you work with, or opportunities people can get once they’ve completed the program(s)? 

Joy to Job partners with professionals in careers ranging from fine arts to computer science to business and entrepreneurship, each with their own unique experiences and advice to share with students. Apart from the webinars, Joy to Job works with schools (teachers, principals, guidance counsellors, learning leaders) as well as organizations dedicated to supporting youth in their career journey. 

After attending the webinars, students will have learned how to begin pursuing a career and the realities of the journey, thus preparing students for their next step (whether that be a job, studying in a post-secondary institution, taking a gap-year, etc.).

What are the benefits of taking this program with your organization? Certifications, training, incentive programs, scholarships, work experience, networking, knowledge, etc.

Attending Joy to Job’s webinars means listening to professionals speak to their personal experiences as well as getting your own questions answered. In this way, attendees will be able to gain knowledge, second-hand experience and potential connections/networking. Joy to Job webinars are hosted specifically for the purpose of guiding students/youth and do so by offering these benefits. 

Describe opportunities for advancement. (Career growth, additional programs, becoming an alumni)

In attending Joy to Job webinars, students will be able to make informed/educated career decisions confidently. Aside from the general benefits that all attendees are offered, student attendees are also eligible to become a Joy to Job member - we will be recruiting new members later in the year. More details will be posted on our website (joytojob.com) when the time comes.

List any corporate responsibility initiatives that your organization is currently involved in. 

Joy to Job is in partnership with the City of Calgary and the City of Calgary’s Youth Employment Centre, as well as United Way’s All in for Youth (AIFY). Many of Joy to Job’s goals align with these organizations’ - we work with them (through Joy to Job webinars) to help and support youth in the community. 

For the 2021/22 school year, Joy to Job is also being sponsored by MRU (Mount Royal University), SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology), Blackline Safety, and InceptionU. Aside from corporations, Joy to Job is also active in high schools (particularly those in Calgary). 

How would someone find out about opportunities at your organization? How can a candidate apply for the programs?

Joy to Job is active on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. We post webinar updates, additional updates/announcements, and panelist biographies on our social media platforms. On YouTube, there are video introductions and tutorials (on how to register). 

Those who are subscribed to the Joy to Job website, joytojob.com, will also receive emails when registration opens for upcoming webinars, as well as any important additional updates. The website is the main resource to refer to for anyone interested in Joy to Job. 

Other ways/areas Joy to Job webinars have been promoted are in high schools (weekly parent emails, D2L Shell, etc.) and by our supporters and partners (City of Calgary’s Youth Employment Centre and United Way AIFY) who promote using email and/or social media.

Joy to Job has also appeared on Peer Guidance/Telling It like It Is, Global News, Collisions YYC, Calgary Business Podcast, CBC Radio and Calgary Herald.

Youth can register for webinars on our website at joytojob.com - if you need help you can email, Melissa Cao: mcao.joytojob@gmail.com or watch the tutorial on YouTube. Upon sign up, youth are encouraged and given the option to submit any questions they may already have for the panelists.

Describe your interview process and onboarding process? 

Students/youth who wish to attend Joy to Job webinars need only to register for the webinar they are interested in on our website at joytojob.com - subscribe to the website to get notified when registration opens. A Zoom link to the webinar will be sent out to those who signed up. The link will be activated at the time of the webinar. 


What do you look for in a participant?

All youth are encouraged to attend - even if you are not interested in the career field covered, you are still welcome and we recommend attending as panelists share advice and experiences that can be related to all. 

We suggest that participants engage their minds and interact with the panelists by asking questions (submitted in advance or live) and listening to their insightful responses.

What type of education/training/equipment do you require?
 
There are no education requirements to attend Joy to Job webinars, however we recommend that attendees be at least in junior high. 

Joy to Job webinars are virtual and held on Zoom, so attendees must supply their own electronic device to attend. We recommend attendees have a basic understanding on how to use their device to ensure that the webinars run smoothly.

What is the minimum age required to participate in the program(s)? Are there different age requirements for different programs?

There is no strict minimum age limit, however, Joy to Job targets and focuses on the age range of high school students and undergraduates - we recommend that attendees be at least in junior high and close to entering high school (this is recommended for all webinars).

Provide a wage range for entry level positions once they gain employment.

Joy to Job is a non-profit organization that hosts free webinars for students/youth to connect them with and get guidance from professionals in careers they are interested in. Attending the webinars is not employment and members of Joy to Job are considered long-term volunteers.

What are the hours of the program(s), length of time for the program(s) and general availability required to be successful? Is there flexibility regarding school schedules?

Joy to Job webinars are held once a month (during the school year) on Tuesdays. They are an hour long, from 5 - 6 pm MST. To see the webinar topics and dates for the 2021/2022 school year, visit the website at joytojob.com

Recordings of the full webinar will not be released - the full webinar will only be available live as we would like to ensure that genuine conversations are fostered. However, panelist introductions and wrap-ups (including their post-secondary education, career path after post-secondary, what they love most about their job, and advice they would give high school students) will be released on our YouTube channel.

Youth/students are free to attend as many or as few webinars as they would like - we recommend attending multiple webinars, even if the career field being covered is not one you will pursue because all the panelists have their own unique piece of wisdom to share (which is often applicable to everyone).


Is there any additional requirements for your program or any additional information you would like to share? 

Each school year, Joy to Job will be hosting monthly webinars that cover a variety of different career fields (some of which may be repeated) with different professionals as panelists. You can stay up to date with the upcoming webinar topics and dates by subscribing to our website at joytojob.com - the webinars for the 2021/2022 school year have been posted.



We welcome all youth/student suggestions and questions. You can let us know which career fields you would like to see covered, suggest how to improve the webinars themselves and how they are accessed, and more by emailing:  mcao.joytojob@gmail.com. 

For more information about Joy to Job, please visit the website here

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